Respectful and sensitive name usage during the initial phase of the ph
ysician-patient encounter can set the tone for a humanistic doctor-pat
ient interaction. In this study, medical students' application of prev
ious didactic instruction regarding ''appropriate'' use of names was e
valuated in the clinical setting. The typical manner in which physican
-teachers role modeled this behavior was also examined. There were 196
patients, 21 physican-teachers, and 16 medical students who completed
study questionnaires. The results revealed that medical students did
not employ essential concepts of previous instruction regarding name u
sage in their interactions with patients. Furthermore, patients' asses
sments of the manner in which the majority of physican-teachers addres
sed patients was inconsistent with precepts presented in the classroom
. To avoid incongruity between didactic and clinical teaching, clinica
l faculty must be apprised of the rationale for specific didactic curr
icular components and encouraged to role model relevant concepts durin
g clinical teaching.